


When I was a Delta (filk)

by HermitLibrary_Archivist



Category: Blake's 7
Genre: Filk, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-05-26
Updated: 2008-05-26
Packaged: 2018-04-19 05:41:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4734671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HermitLibrary_Archivist/pseuds/HermitLibrary_Archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>By Chris Blenkarn<br/>(To the tune of ”When I was a lad/ Now I am the ruler of the Queen's Navee• by Gilbert and Sullivan)</p>
            </blockquote>





	When I was a Delta (filk)

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Judith and Aralias, the archivists: This story was originally archived at [Hermit.org Blake's 7 Library](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Hermit_Library), which was closed due to maintenance costs and lack of time. To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2015. We posted announcements about the move and emailed authors as we imported, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this author, please contact us using the e-mail address on [Hermit.org Blake's 7 Library collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/hermitlibrary/profile). 
> 
> This work has been backdated to 26th of May 2008, which is the last date the Hermit.org archive was updated, not the date this fic was written. In some cases, fics can be dated more precisely by searching for the zine they were originally published in on [Fanlore](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Main_Page).

As a fifth grade Delta worker, I served my turn  
Dispensing light refreshments from a big tea urn  
Carried out my lowly tasks, enjoying the odd chat  
Returning to my Dome each night, and that was that  
Then my life changed course as you will see  
When I became a rep. for my community.

My supervisor summoned me, wanted a brief word  
I didn't like the sound of this, I'm easily deterred  
She spoke of meeting challenges, not being overawed  
Floated a suggestion I might like to take on board  
It seemed I'd been proposed - which was news to me-  
To join the Dome Regeneration comm-itt-ee.

Well I thought I'd best say yes, and that very same night  
I embarked on my first meeting and got quite a fright  
I couldn't understand a single word the Alphas said  
I wished I was at home and watching vids instead  
What's a public private partnership? I was all at sea  
And as for IT audits, it's all geek to me.

I'd to wade through piles of documents, graphs and flow charts  
Considered leaving straightaway for foreign parts  
Plus the policies, the strategies, the codes and protocols  
I thought, I'll have to nick more parecetemols.  
For the Domes there was this vision, they said to me  
Entrepreneurship skills would kick-start its economy.

These were unknown waters but I had no choice  
Token Deltas generally don't raise their voice  
I had a sinking feeling, yet I'm not such a fool  
That I refused to write a bid to Space Command's grants pool  
When I said I'd take the plunge, the chair thanked me  
Remarking it would help build Dome capacity(?????)

As the months flowed on I found my feet  
Learned to write a business plan and read a balance sheet  
Enrolled on training courses 'till my eyes grew glazed  
Spent a weekend having my awareness raised  
I'd cast off on my voyage of discovery  
Now I could tell a process from a strategy.

To the other grades I was now a skilled resource  
But unexpected squalls were blowing us off course  
The members all were squabbling over various ills  
P'raps I could try out my new conciliation skills?  
I proposed we celebrated our diversity  
But they tossed my words aside and told me, make some tea.

As a model of cohesion, this really wouldn't do  
Every grade was paddling its own canoe  
Indulging in a free and frank exchange of views  
In words that Federation reps. just should not use  
The chair stormed out when they could not agree  
When Rontane hears of this, you're overboard, cried he!

The meeting broke up for we'd run aground  
But resumed inside a bar where many pints were downed  
The Alphas said the Betas were intent on making waves  
The Gammas claimed oppressive practice made them slaves  
I wasn't really sure where this storm left me  
Did it represent a threat or opportunity?

Mass resignations followed which I didn't expect  
One wondered, had some aspirations not been met?  
But the group must not go under, High Council ruled  
So we took on board new members after tempers cooled  
They proposed I be chair as a guarantee  
That lower grade empowerment's a reality.

From this point on, the tide it turned  
A host of new unfathomable words we learned  
We put in place new systems, in new tactics did engage  
Efficiency, effectiveness they're all the rage  
Once fed into the process our findings all would be  
Embedded in best practice through the galaxy

Setting baseline measures' the next task to undertake  
Performance indicators proved a piece of cake  
We carried out appraisals and fresh targets we agreed  
Devised a rolling programme for each unmet need  
High Council was delighted, and said that we  
Demonstrated how to move from Strength to Unity.

So we sailed along on the crest of a wave  
A raft of new proposals to the Council gave  
They picked one up and ran with it, a pilot scheme  
Identifying mutoid skills and bringing them on stream  
The president himself so admired me  
I became the Council's very first Delta appointee.

I'd found my role in life at last!  
I nailed my aspirations firmly to the mast  
Attended major conf'rences and shared my expertise  
Gained grade 10 accreditation in officialese  
I flagged up fresh concerns quite frequently  
"You've settled in quite nicely," Bercol said to me.

The moral of this story should be quite clear  
If you want to leave the Dome behind, a steady course just steer  
Abandon revolution, you're sure to end up dead  
Why don't you make a splash in public life instead?  
If you swim with the tide, you surely will agree  
You could become Supreme Commander after me.


End file.
